Warriors: The Blood Moon Rises

Chapter Six

Icykit's eyes widened. "Sneak to the gathering?" Icykit repeated.
"What? We could get, like, kicked out of the clan for that!" Shellkit breathed, eyes wide with shock.
"Oh, hush up and listen!" Tadpolekit snapped. "Here's the plan: Step one is actually getting to the gathering. We'll go right behind everyone else and hide in the bushes and trees." Shellkit and Icykit both nodded. "Step two: once we arrive at the gathering, we hide behind our warriors until the leaders finish talking. Then, we can meet other cats! Specifically apprentices, just to be safe."
"Uh, won't our own clanmates see us when we're talking with the other clans?" Icykit asked, not very sure about this plan.
"We'll just have to be very careful," Tadpolekit emphasized, lashing her tail. "Step three: making it home the very same way we came. Simple! Any questions?"
Shellkit raised his paw nervously. "Do I have to go?" He whined in a shaky voice.
"No, but you'll be the only kit in the nursery," Tadpolekit sneered. "Alright, now we just have to hang out 'till tonight. Icykit, wanna chill with me and my moms?"
Icykit smiled and nodded, wiping away the residue from her tears. Tadpolekit and Shellkit didn't have a father, but her two moms were just as wonderful. Her moms were some of the best warriors in the clan, so they took turns caring for the kits. Lucky for them, they were both in the nursery now. They were greeted with a warm smile from both Brooksplash and Pebblestream.
"Hey there kits! How was the river?" Brooksplash greeted.
"It was gr- wait! How did you know?" Tadpolekit demanded. Brooksplash and her mate both just laughed.
"We're perfectly alright with it, as long as you ask first and stay safe," Pebblestream assured.
"How do you be a good warrior?" Icykit curiously inquired, wanting an answer from the best of warriors.
"By following the warrior code of course."
"What all is in the warrior code?"
"Well, there are many rules depending on the situation. For example, in battle, the warrior code says never to intentionally kill a cat unless absolutely necessary."
"And when you hunt, the code says you must bring it to the fresh kill pile first. And of course, don't cross other clan's borders," Brooksplash added. "Those are just the most basic and important rules."
"Bo-ring!" Tadpolekit groaned, throwing her head back. "Let's play moss ball!" Brooksplash and Pebblestream sighed happily as the kits played.
Icykit gripped the ball with her teeth. Tadpolekit bowled into her, causing the ball to be flung into the air. Shellkit dove to try and catch it, but missed and hit the ground with an "oof!" The moss ball hit his head and rolled onto the soft earth. Icykit laughed as Shellkit got up.
"I think I'm going to take a nap to pass the time," Icykit decided over her shoulder. Icykit curled up next to her mother and tried to push all the nightmares and hatefulness out of her head as she drifted off to sleep.
~
"Icykit! Quick! Wake up!" Tadpolekit urged, shaking Icykit awake. "It's time!"
"Huh? How long was I asleep for?" Icykit yawned and stretched quickly.
"Too long! Come on, are you coming or not?" She hissed back. Shellkit sat down next to Icykit. "Alright team! It's time to put my incredibly brilliant plan into motion!"
Shellkit rolled his eyes.
"Troutstar is announcing the cats who will go to the gathering." She gestured to the cats all sitting under the high rock with her tail. "When they leave, we're going to sneak out through the tunnels. We'll stay hidden in the tunnels until the group passes us. Then, we'll hide behind bushes and rocks and creep behind them until we reach the gathering place." Tadpolekit explained. "No time for questions! They're leaving now!"
Tadpolekit made sure the coast was clear, and crept to the fresh kill pile, followed by Icykit and Shellkit. All three slipped into the bush and entered the narrow tunnels.
"You better not screw this up," Tadpolekit whispered sharply, "I'm looking at you, Shellkit!"
"I do not screw everything up! I just don't enjoy breaking the warrior code!" Shellkit defensively mewed back.
"Shush!" Icykit whispered, not wanting to get caught. The three made it to the end of the tunnels, and Tadpolekit poked her head out the other end.
"We've made it! And not a moment too late! Here they come! Duck!" Tadpolekit quickly dropped back down. Icykit could hear the chatter and footsteps of the passing warriors.
"Hopefully the gathering goes well."
"I wonder if all those WindClan apprentices got new mentors."
"I hope I can see that cute ThunderClan tom."
Icykit and Tadpolekit looked at each other with a disgusted look and stuck their tongue out.
"I think that's all of them," Tadpolekit breathed, sticking only the upper half of her umber-colored face out of the hole. "Coast is clear! Let's go!"
They silently climbed out of the hole and crept behind the pines. They stealthily slipped behind rocks and trees until they made it to the gathering place. The other clans were already there. The gathering place had four large rocks, each with a tree stump next to them. Three proud-looking cats sat on each rock, serious looks on their faces. Icykit assumed they were the leader. Her thought was confirmed a moment later as Troustar hopped upon the rock, Snapperwhisker getting on the stump next to him. The other cats sat in groups, separated by clans.
"Since all of us are here, I'll start if you don't mind." The voice came from a slender, white she cat with tall black ears, black freckles, and a black-dipped tail. "New-leaf has brought prosperity among ShadowClan." Ah, so that's the ShadowClan leader. "The apprentices are flourishing, and we have a new clan member. Please welcome Umberpaw!" A jet-black she with white splotches, who looked a bit too old to be an apprentice, awkwardly smiled and gave a quick wave of her tail.
"Umberpaw! Umberpaw!" Cats from every clan chanted welcomingly for the cat.
"Thank you, Dipstar. We welcome your new apprentice. ThunderClan's apprentice den is full, and their skills are progressing quickly. Prey runs well and everyone is healthy," a large, dark brown tom reported.
"Is that the ThunderClan leader? He's huge!" Shellkit whispered, his eyes widened at the tom.
"Shush!" Tadpolekit snapped back.
"That's wonderful to hear, Elkstar. As most of you know, greencough took the lives of many warriors. We have all five of our new apprentices here, including one that I am mentoring. This is Yochapaw, Sunsetpaw, Goldpaw, Zipperpaw, and our medicine apprentice, Beigepaw." A tall black tom introduced the apprentices, and everyone cheered for them. "Otherwise," the tom continued once the cheering died down, "prey is running well and everyone is healthy and strong!"
"I'm sure your apprentices will train to be noble warriors, Ravenstar." Icykit's father, Troutstar, nodded, his long gray fur shining in the moonlight. "RiverClan's prey has prospered, the kits are well, and everything is proceeding in an orderly fashion. You are all free to chat with other cats now."
"Ok! It's our time! Let's go!" Tadpolekit padded out casually from behind the rock. Icykit scanned the gathering for someone to hang out with. Her eyes fell upon the older apprentice from earlier, who was laughing with another fluffy tabby she-cat. They look friendly, Icykit thought. I may as well give it my best go. Icykit confidently strode up to the two cats.
"Hi there! I'm Icykit- I mean- Icypaw!" Icypaw introduced herself anxiously. "What are your names?"
"Why do you need to know?" The brown tabby didn't turn her head, but only gave her a side-eye.
"Yeah, no offense, but should you be in the nursery right now?" Umberpaw scoffed.
"I guess ShadowClan cats really are jerks," Icykit muttered under her breath, just loud enough for the two cats to hear. Umberpaw narrowed her eyes. "What was that, kit?"
"N-nothing!" Icypaw stammered, backing away.
"I think you should learn a little respect!" Umberpaw raised a claw and raked her face. Tears welled up in Icykit's eyes.
"Aww! Is she gonna cry?" The other cat mocked as Icykit weaved through the crowd back behind the rock. A little teardrop ran down her face. Why did ShadowClan cats have to be so mean? This was why the clans were always at war! The ShadowClan cats were feeding this crow-food into their brains so young!
"I think she's behind here!" Icypaw caught her breath quickly as she heard a whisper. Suddenly, a small, white, black-splotched popped out from behind the rock, making Icypaw jump.
"Are you okay?" It asked, the rest of her body coming out.
Icypaw sniffed. "Yeah, I just got into an argument with some ShadowClan cats." Another, much larger cat emerged from behind. She was fox-colored and long furred, and had bright green eyes.
"Those stupid, mouse-brained, crow- food eating sons of-" She was cut off quickly.
"Anyways! What's your name? Mine's Tinypaw, and this is Foxpaw." Tinypaw introduced.
"I'm Icykit! I mean- shoot." Icykit cursed.
"Kit? But how-"
"Shush! I snuck in, ok? I just really wanted to see what the other clans were like!"
"Hey! Icykit, we're leaving!" Tadpolekit urged from nowhere.
"Oh, sorry! I've got to go! It was great meeting you!" Icykit bid farewell over her shoulder.
Icykit, Shellkit, and Tadpolekit padded silently behind everyone else. Suddenly, Shellkit stepped on a twig, and it broke with a fairly loud snap. Coralpaw and Maplepaw whipped around to see the kits.
"What in the name of StarClan are you doing here?" Maplepaw whisper-shouted.
"Oh, I am so going to tell on you!" Coralpaw sneered, narrowing her eyes.
"Alright, then I'll tell your mentors about how you and Goldpaw were talking about having kits together!" Tadpolekit snapped back. Coralpaw widened her eyes.
"You wouldn't!"
"Oh yes I would."
"Fine. We won't tattle. But you can't use that as blackmail anymore!" Coralpaw hissed and turned back around. The three kits slunk through the shadows until they made it back to the tunnels. They squeezed through the tight earth until they popped out behind the fresh kill pile. It was dead silent in the camp. Everyone was sound asleep under the clear moon and Silverpelt.
Icykit hurried to the nursery so she could get there before her mother ever knew she was gone. She guickly laid down and pretended to be asleep. At that same second, Snapperwhisker tiredly trudged into the nursery. She slumped down next to Icykit and muttered in her sleep.
"Why am I still alive? It's torture. I love you, Icykit. I love you and it's killing me."
A tear softly rolled down Icykit's pure white fur as she silently sobbed. She does love me. But I'm just making it hard. Why can't I do anything right, StarClan?